| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMU | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| NIU | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Richie’s TD sparks N. Illinois to 17-14 win over W. Michigan
Richie somehow stays on his feet for a 71-yard TD
Tyrice Richie catches the shovel pass, rolls over a defender and keeps going for a 71-yard touchdown for Northern Illinois.
DEKALB, Ill. -- Tyrice Richie took a shovel pass in the Northern Illinois backfield, added an acrobatic flip over a would-be tackler near midfield and turned it all into a 71-yard touchdown to spark the Huskies to a 17-14 win over Western Michigan in the season finale Tuesday night.
Michael Love tossed a 7-yard scoring pass to Mitchell Brinkman midway through the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Down 10-0 at intermission, LeVante Bellamy brought Western Michigan back with second-half touchdown runs of 6- and 16-yards.
The victory moves the Huskies to 4-4 in the Mid-America Conference in Thomas Hammock's first season as head coach at his alma mater. Overall NIU finished 5-7, with a string of four straight losses early in the season to Utah, Nebraska, Vanderbilt and Ball State.
NIU finished with 250 yards of total offense in the game. Richie's 71-yard catch made up most of the team's 93-yard passing total.
Bellamy finished with 21 carries for 128 yards to lead Western Michigan (7-5, 5-3).
Game Information
2024 Mid-American Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 7-1 | 11-3 |
| Miami (OH) | 7-1 | 8-5 |
| Buffalo | 6-2 | 8-4 |
| Bowling Green | 6-2 | 7-5 |
| Western Michigan | 5-3 | 6-7 |
| Toledo | 4-4 | 7-5 |
| Northern Illinois | 4-4 | 7-5 |
| Akron | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Eastern Michigan | 2-6 | 5-7 |
| Central Michigan | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| Ball State | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Kent State | 0-8 | 0-12 |
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